Bank Group ContributionFor FY13, nearly $3 billion in lending commitments at the World Bank are expected to provide adaptation co-benefits, of which just over $2 billion came from IDA and nearly $900 billion... Show More + from IBRD. More than $4 billion in FY 13 will provide mitigation co-benefits; $1.8 billion from IBRD and $2.3 billion from IDA. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Bank’s private-sector arm, committed nearly $2.5 billion for mitigation, an increase of nearly $900 million.Highlights from the World Bank Group’s contributions include:82 projects in 50 countries: 24 have adaptation co-benefits, 39 mitigation co-benefits and 19 have both. At $2.3 billion, clean energy continued to account for the largest share of the Bank’s mitigation support in FY13.At $910 million, Water, Sanitation and Flood Protection represented one-third of adaptation financing in FY13 and an increasing part of the sector’s commitment support adaptation (about 40 percent), demonstrating integration of Show Less -

Leading the ChargeThere are leaders, both in the private and public sectors, that recognize the first-mover advantage and are grabbing the competitive edge. Among them:Google recently flipped the switch... Show More + on one of the world’s largest solar power arrays – 9,200 panels covering its corporate headquarters – and acquired smart-thermostat maker Nest in an anticipated ramping up of work on products that can reduce home energy use. Google is one of several companies already using a shadow price on carbon for strategic planning.Philips is rolling out off-grid lighting, LED street lighting, and has a goal of improving the energy efficiency of all its lighting products by 50 percent by 2015.Investors are seeing the payoff: exchange-traded funds in clean energy saw returns reaching up to 140 percent last year.Many of these leaders will be represented at the World Economic Forum, where world leaders will be attending a full day and 23 sessions discussing climate change, building resilience, and sus Show Less -